New Zealand

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Auckland & Omamari Beach, New Zealand (8th January 2011 - 13th January 2011)

We flew into Auckland from Sydney and picked up a hire car at the airport. After a couple of hours drive North we got to Dargaville and met Dawn and Ian, very good family friends who own a beach place, or bach as it’s known locally, up there. We stayed with them, along with their daughter Paulette, her husband Dave and kids Toby and Jaxon, for three nights and enjoyed the most amazing weather.
The bach is amazing and such a relaxing place to be. It’s quite a quiet stretch of beach with only a handful of beach houses in this area. Ian and I fished one day but sadly had nothing to show for our efforts. The nearby Kai Iwi lakes were great to swim in during the late afternoon and we enjoyed great fresh food off the BBQ and some lovely Villa Maria wines. Nat and I even ventured out on the quad bike one afternoon. We drove a few kilometres up the beach to enjoy amazing views.
We headed back towards Auckland via Manghawei Heads and Waipu Cove. The beach at the latter was amazing and Nat and I enjoyed an afternoon there before staying at a local backpackers lodge at the former. When we asked the proprietor for the room key he told us that they ‘don’t do keys’ and no one needed one. “I haven’t locked my house in twenty years” he remarked. I can’t quite imagine that happening back home.

Raglan, New Plymouth & Wellington, New Zealand (14th January 2011 - 18th January 2011)

As Nat and I had both spent time in New Zealand before we decided to try and see some places that we hadn’t visited previously. Raglan was a great little place to be found on the West Coast some two hours south of Auckland. We checked into the holiday park and then headed straight for the beach.
We drove on down the West coast and on towards New Plymouth. On the way we passed a great little organic brewery, Mike’s, and made sure to pick up a few pilsners to enjoy at a later date. As it was Saturday night we decided to see what this town had to offer in terms of entertainment. After ordering and eating far too much food in a great little bar we decided to see what the live band at the Irish Bar were like. The hangover the next day was testament to a good night.
Every time either of us has been to Wellington it has been grey and/or raining. This time was no exception. It was grey as usual, so we went up the cable car and walked back into town before catching the ferry first thing next morning across to the South Island.

Blenheim & Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand (19th January 2011 - 22nd January 2011)

We stayed at the Grapevine hostel in Blenheim, the base for our wine tasting tour of the Marlborough region. Marlborough is renowned mainly for its Sauvignon Blancs but they also let you try a few Pinot Noirs too.
We were planning to kayak in the clear waters off the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park but unfortunately it was too windy to take us beginners out. Instead, we spent a couple of days walking parts of the Abel Tasman Track, with incredible views around the coastline. Having seen the size of some of the waves in the afternoon, we were glad not to be tackling them by kayak!

The West Coast, Wanaka & Arrowtown, New Zealand (23rd January 2011 - 27th January 2011)

As we drove from Motueka to Greymouth a bird (avian rather than female) came out of nowhere as we drove over the brow of a hill and ended up in our headlight. Cue a call to the hire car company and, luckily, a replacement car in Greymouth which was just down the road. We decided to stay the night and do the Monteiths brewery tour which was cool. We got to taste all their brews and it worked out well for them as I ended up drinking Monteiths Golden for a large part of the rest of our NZ tour.
Haast had got bigger since my last visit. There were more than 100 people living here now. Just before sunset we took a bottle of red wine down to the rugged beach and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Well, that was until the only 2 other people in sight (German tourists) decided to sit right next to us on an otherwise deserted beach. Still it was quite some sunset.
Wanaka had become more commercial since either of us had been there 10 years previous. We still felt obliged to go back to Puzzle World to do the giant maze. Despite panicking that Nat was going to visit all four coloured corners and solve the maze first, I won. A few small children may have been harmed in this shallow victory. They were moving far too slowly.

The Milford Track, New Zealand (28th January 2011 - 31st January 2011)

We had reserved the Milford Track walk about a year before as there are only 40 spaces per day and it notoriously gets fully booked during the summer months. Thankfully the dates we had booked seemed to work out pretty well with regards to our overall plan.
We parked the hire car at the boat pick-up point, hoping it would still be there four days later. The boat arrived as scheduled and took us across Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf and the start of the four-day trek. We decided to start in the afternoon on the Friday as it was only an hour’s walk to the first nights accommodation. We were doing the walk unguided, which is not a problem as the tracks are so well marked, but we have to admit we were very jealous when we saw the wine fridge at the guided walkers hut some 20 minutes before we got to our own wooden dorm room. No booze for us and only super noodles to endure for the next three nights.
Saturday heralded fantastic weather and a real danger of getting sunburnt. It was so hot that the sweat dripping off us took the sun cream with it. The track took us through a deep valley with huge, steep mountain sides and provided some stunning views. We could just about see Mackinnon Pass, our target for the following day, in the distance. Even though there were 38 other unguided walkers and the same number again of guided walkers, we only seemed to come across other people every so often so it was a great way to experience this isolated national park. After arriving at the Mintaro Hut, our dorm for the night, the ranger suggested we head up to have a look at the views from Mackinnon Pass that evening before sunset, as there were gale force winds forecast for the next day. We were glad we took his advice as the views from the Pass were amazing and, had we not, the view the next morning at 8am was somewhat different.
After a mostly sleepless night thanks to our bunk neighbour who snored louder than we thought humanly possible, we headed out from the hut and up towards the Pass. We were soon out of the shelter of the trees and getting absolutely soaked as the rain came in sideways. As soon as we reached the top of the climb the wind hit us like a freight train. Visibility was terrible so we had to concentrate to keep to the path. There was a small hut at the top of the pass where we took respite for half an hour, getting a hot drink and changing out of our rain drenched clothes. The noise from the wind was quite incredible and we wondered how the somewhat flimsy hut could withstand the weather up there. When Nat started to read the posters in the hut, she realised that the previous hut had actually been blown away in high winds – cue a swift exit. Thankfully, once we started down the other side of the mountain the wind died down. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the rain. Waterfalls were created all over the place as water cascaded down into the valley.
By the time we finally reached our dorm for the night at about 5pm we probably couldn’t have been any more soaked. We were feeling quite sorry for ourselves, until the ranger told us that we had seen around 100mm of rain that day but that we should be thankful we weren’t there last April when they saw 800mm in a 24 hour period. Having seen the rain we did it seems impossible that it could have been eight times worse! A brief moment’s excitement came that evening when the ranger, having walked up the track to help a trekker with an injured ankle, was brought back by helicopter. We heard the noise of the blades as it made its descent, but couldn’t imagine where it could possibly land. We couldn’t believe our eyes when it landed on a strip of grass outside the hut, that looked smaller than the helicopter itself. Landing in those weather conditions with that degree of accuracy must have taken some skill. Thankfully the pilot got it right!
We walked for about 4 hours on the last day before reaching the end of the Milford Track and our awaiting boat to ferry us across Milford Sound. It was a great walk, despite the bad weather, but we were glad to get back to Te Anau for some good food, a glass of wine, a shower and a room without an elephant snoring in it.

Invercargill, New Zealand (1st February 2011 - 2ndFebruary 2011)

According to the experts, there are more mullets per capita in Invercargill than in any other part of the country. Having now been there I can confirm this is true. There must have been 10 in the supermarket alone. I was so dumbstruck by one kid’s mullet that I got caught gawping at him, mouth open, by his dad. Suffice to say he was modelling his hairstyle on dads. I made a swift exit.
We were down in the far south to spend some time with our friends Mark and Suz and their new baby, Zach. Mark took us down to the real tip of the South Island, Bluff, and showed us the metropolis of Invercargill itself. Mainly we just hung out with our hosts, enjoyed plenty of great food (try the excellent Hotton home-made pizza’s if you ever pass through) and drank plenty of wine and beer. Zach even got to enjoy watching Arsenal beat Everton with his British Uncle.

Dunedin & Christchurch, New Zealand (3rd February 2011 - 4thFebruary 2011)

After completing the Milford Track and having a couple of days in Invervegas we had to hot-foot it up most of the east coast of the South Island. We had both been to Dunedin and Christchurch before so we used both as overnight stops on our way back up North. We were hoping that we would start to see some sun again quickly after getting plenty of rain.
With hindsight it was bizarre to have seen Christchurch only two weeks before the shattering earthquake. We found some great bars and enjoyed a fun night out here, commenting on the number of buildings that were fenced off due to damage from the September 2010 earthquake. Despite feeling a small tremor that evening you would never have expected the terrible scenes of devastation that were to follow not long after.

Hanmer Springs, Kaikoura & Picton, New Zealand (5th February 2011 - 7thFebruary 2011)

Hanmer Springs was great. The sun came out and we enjoyed a few hours moving from hot pool to even hotter pool at the springs resort. It wasn’t that far from Kaikoura so we decided to drive on and spend two nights there in a great little hostel near the beach.
If you are an Arsenal fan, never get up at 3am to watch your team cruise into a 4-0 lead against a pretty average Newcastle team missing their only decent striker. What happens next just makes you want to cry. I went back to bed dumbfounded at the 4-4 result (so dumbfounded that I had to wake Nat to tell her all about it) and it all seemed like a nightmare as I got up again at 9am. That day, to take my mind of the sheer frustration of my football team, we went on a four hour walk around the peninsula and back into Kaikoura. We passed seals basking in the sunshine and took in some amazing views of the coastline before heading back into town sweating like pigs. The good weather had returned with a vengeance.
We stopped in at the Villa Maria vineyard just outside Blenheim on our drive back up to Picton to pick up some more great wine. The cellar selection Pinot Noir is amazing (and available in the UK if you happen to see it in the offie!). By the time we got to Picton it was chucking it down with rain again so we holed up in the hostel for a few hours that night before a 5am ferry back across the Cook Strait. The weather left us hoping it wasn’t going to be a rough crossing. Thankfully it was fine.

Martinborough & Napier, New Zealand (8th February 2011 - 10thFebruary 2011)

After getting the (very) early ferry back across the Cook Strait to Wellington we switched our economy-sized hire car for a people carrier before picking up Nat’s mum and John from the airport. We headed straight out of the grey drizzle in Windy Welly, heading for a lovely apartment in Martinborough, where the sun was shining. We had already stocked up on food supplies and set about preparing a veritable feast on the BBQ. For someone who isn’t a BBQ expert I think I did a pretty good job. Gas is definitely the way forward, Bates. That night we saw one of the most amazing sunsets ever, judgment possibly slightly skewed by large quantities of Villa Maria wine.
We drove onto Napier, the art deco capital of New Zealand, and stayed there for a couple of nights. After a quick round of mini golf in the morning (where both Nat and Brenda managed to get holes in one, much to the disgust of the men), we headed off on a wine tasting tour of Hawkes Bay. Lunch at Black Barn was fantastic and the tastings, and vistas, at Craggy Range were excellent. Their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir will definitely be getting bought back home. The day was finished off with some traditional NZ fush and chups by the sea.

Taupo & Rotorua, New Zealand (11th February 2011 - 13thFebruary 2011)

We packed up the bus and headed up to Taupo, where we were lucky enough to stay with Nat’s friend Mhorbaigne, her husband Nick and their two kids, Aderyn and Hudson. Add to that three dogs, two sheep, two cats, two guinea pigs, snails and fish and you pretty much have a zoo. I had never seen a sheep loose in someone’s house before, or on a trampoline. I have now.
We had a great time hanging out with them all. As it was a weekend and the kids were off school, we decided to head to Action World. The kids were an excellent excuse. Action World is full of giant inflatable activities like the trapeze, tightrope, monkey bars, giant slides, a platform for pugel stick fighting and much more. The kids loved it, the adults possibly more so. Nat got to try the trapeze out a few times, something she’s wanted to do for years, and even managed to successfully cross the tightrope from one raised platform to the other. I tried my best not to be outdone, but the years of gymnastics had obviously paid off for Nat. I didn’t have a hope, and after a number of wipe outs onto the inflatables below, gave up. After a day of exertion in the sun, we all headed back into Taupo to meet up with Brenda, John and my sister Lynn (who had arrived for a three week holiday), and we all headed to the thermal spring baths at DeBretts for some much deserved relaxation.
The next day (while Brenda and John were helicoptering over the lake and the volcanoes), Nat and I, Mhorbaigne, Nick and Lynn walked up to the top of the Lady of the Lake. It was a damn hot day so we were all sweating a lot by the time we got to the top for some awesome views back over the lake. That night we all enjoyed a big BBQ back at the zoo and witnessed the miracle that was the trampolining sheep.
The next day we headed north towards the Coromandel. Mhorbaigne and the kids joined us for some of the journey and we managed to fit in a visit to Wai-O-Tapu, just outside Rotorua, to see the geyser, check out the thermal area and generally take in the eggy smell. No trip to Rotorua is complete without zorbing so we made sure to do it again. After the zorbs, it was time for a sad goodbye to Mhorbaigne, Aderyn and Hudson, although we certainly hope it won’t be too long before we are able to catch up again.

Hahei, The Coromandel, New Zealand (14th February 2011 - 17thFebruary 2011)

We made our way up to Hahei , on the eastern side of the Coromandel peninsula. Thanks to our good friends in Auckland we had managed to get all the family and friends together in one place for a few days on the beach. My Dad, both sisters and my niece all had three weeks in New Zealand during February so it was great to spend some quality time together.
The weather was fantastic and we had four beach villas next to each other which proved perfect for a big BBQ and plenty of drinks to enjoy our time together. The surf was great for body boarding and I even managed to catch quite a few decent waves without drowning. Quite a result for me. Nat and her mum managed to get some quality tanning time in on the beach.

Auckland, New Zealand (18th February 2011 - 23rdFebruary 2011)

For their last night in New Zealand we enjoyed a fantastic dinner with Brenda and John at the Orbit restaurant at the top of the SkyTower. We got there in daylight to see the great views over Auckland and its many waterways and then got to see the full moon reflecting in the very same water later on.
Saturday night dinner was spent at the Barracuda restaurant on Bucklands Beach, an Auckland suburb. This was the first time that all the members of both the Rouse and Wilton (our close NZ friends) families had been in the same place at the same time in over 40 years. Needless to say we were the last table left eating and drinking in the restaurant!
On Sunday, Nat and I went to Waiheke Island with Lynn for the day. It was a scorching day and while we managed a few hours on the beach we had to keep going for a dip to cool down. We had lunch in the main town, Onorua before stopping off at Passage Rock vineyard to pick up some recommended wine. We even managed half of the sculpture trail before hopping back on the car ferry back to Bucklands Beach.
Our last few days were spent relaxing with friends and family, eating, drinking and generally being merry. On the Wednesday goodbyes were said before we left Auckland for our next destination, Chile.

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